Well-drilling apparatus



May 1927' T. s. DIETLE v WELL DRILLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuantoz Y: apiel/e T. S. DIETLE WELL DRILLING APPARATUS May 17, 1927. 1,629,024

Filed Oct. 4, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnpentov TSZDz'eZ-Ya Patented May 17, 1927.

UNITED STA THOMAS s., nmirnn, orrAwHUsxA, OKLAHOMA.

wELL-nnILLING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 14, 1926. serial No. 141,537.

This invention relates to well drilling apparatus and more particularly to the construction of the band wheel and its connections through the usual mechanisms with the drilling string.

An important object of the invention is to provide a construction whereby the speed-of operation is materially increased, thus per-.

mitting the use of an internal combustion engineinstead of the usual steam engine now employed and 111 which the lag ordinarily caused by the'brakin'g effect of the engine against the action of the tools in descending into the holeis eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a band wheel construction which may be so connected with its crank that at times when the crank is under a lifting strain, the band wheel is firmly connected therewith to rotate the same, while, when the lowering. operation starts, the. band wheel is automatically disconnected, so that the crank may move at its'own speed, as controlled by the weight oft-he tool string with which it is operated. w I r i 1 p A further object of the invention is to rovide a structure of this character where- )Y the band wheel may be thus connected, rea

g ardless of the direction of rotation thereof and whereby the band wheel, if desired, can

be fiXed to the drive, so that the braking action. of the engineimay be employed.

These and other objects I, attain by the construction shown'in' the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illus-' tration is shown a preferred embodiment ofv my invention and wherein Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to'the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a band wheel shaft, 11 a bandIwheel carried thereby and driven by a belt 12 from a an engine 13. The band'wheel shaft has av crank 14 to which may be adjustably connected one end of. a pitman 15, the opposite r 1,629,024- TES- PATENT OFFICE.

end of which engages one end of a walking beam 16 from theopposite end of-which the wire line 17 supporting the tool string is suspended. I

, In accordance withmy invention, the band wheel 11 is rotatably mounted upon theshaftv being clamped between a flange 16 formed upon one, side of a hubj17 rotatably engaged withthe shaft; At the oppositeface of the band wheel from the fiange16, a plate 1871s disposed which is clamped to'the flange 16 by bolts 19 extending through tl' eband whee l. Both the flange'lti andplate 18 are provided upon their-J outer faces .w ith ratchets20, these ratchetsfacing in opposite directions. .Abutting opposite endsof thcj r hub 17 and keyed to the shaft-10 are sleeves 20, the exterior faces of which are preferably hexagonal in form, fora purpose presently to appear.

The. outer ends ofthese sleeves have out standing collars or flanges 21 against-which abut-the outer ends ofthe springs 22 surrounding v the sleeves and having their. mnerj ends abutted against clutch collars 23 which have-a sliding. fit upon the faces of the sleeves.

The inner faces of the clutchcollars 23 have ratchet teeth 24 matching the ratchet teeth of the ratchet 20 ,with which they are asso-.

ciated.

. a The band wheel shafts-are usually mounted between upright standards L25, the upper ends of which are provided ,with bearings 261501 the' shaft; IfIn each ofthesupports 25,;

I mount a bolt-27 having in its, outer end an eye281to whichis pivoted the lower end of a shifting yoke 29,the-arms of which extend toopposite sides of the, associated clutch element 23 and are provided with pins 30 operating in grooves 31 formedin the clutch elements.

The upper ends of the arms of the yoke are connected through a link 32 to the short arm 33 of a bell crank lever mounted upon a pivot 34 supported from the associated post 25. The long arm 35 of the bell crank lever has connected thereto a control vhandle 36 which is led to a convenient point in the derrick structure and there directed through a latch yoke 37 secured to an upright post. The handle portion has a notch 38 receiving one arm 39ot' the yoke when the handle is positioned to disengage the associated clutch.

In the use of the-device, Where it is desired to make the drilling operation as rapid as possible and to employ the entire the part'of the tools.

well. 'cient drilling operation by the tools but in ous that the tremendous weight the tools employed in well drilling operations will cause the tool bearing end of the walking beam 16 to move downwardly very rapidly just as soon as the lifting operation is completed and the return stroke is started. This motion will be transmitted through the pitma'n 1-5 to the crank 14 and so to the shaft, with the result that during each rotationiof the shaft. after the tools have been lifted to the fullest extent to which the crank may lift them, the crank may free itself, permitting the tools to drop and exert their entire force against the bottom of the This results not only in a more eflia reduction of the time required for a given number of strokes of the tools. for it will be obvious that the tools will cause the crank to advance much more rapidly than it is possible to advance it with the band wheel and thus, instead of employing only one-half of the rotation of the band wheel for a lifting operation,substantially the entire rotation of the band wheel is employed in this manner. Furthermore, since the return of the clutches is instantaneous in its action, the band wheel will tend to pick up th'e'load of the tools instantly and thus take advantage of any tendency to rebound on If it is desired that the braking action of the engine be employed, or that the crank be fixed to the band Wheel for any reason, this may be accomplished by simultaneously bothclutch elements 23.

It will be obvious that the construction engaging hereinbefore set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of.

pressed ratchet clutches for connecting said' hand wheel to the shaft having the teeth '5 thereof oppositely disposed.

2. In combination-with the band Wheel shaft of well drilling apparatus having the usual crank for raising and lowering thedrilling tools, a band wheel rotatably mount-' ed upon said shaft, a pair of spring pressed ratchet clutches for connecting said band wheel to the shaft having the teeth thereof oppositely disposed and means for sin'iultaneously or independently engaging said clutches.

3. In combination with the band wheel shaft of well drilling apparatus having the usual crank for raising and lowering the drilling tools, a band Wheel rotatably mounted upon said shaft, a pair of spring pressed ratchet clutches for connecting said band wheel to the shaft having the teeth thereof oppositely disposed andmeans for disengaging either of said ratchet clutches.

4. In combination with the band wheel shaft of Well drilling apparatus having the usual crank for raising and lowering the drilling tools, a band wheel rotatably mounted upon said shaft and a pair ofsprii'ig pressed ratchet clutches for connecting said band Wheel to the shaft'having the teeth thereof oppositely disposed and acontrol for each clutch for maintaining the clutch in inoperative position against the action of the spring thereof. f

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature. i

THOMAS s. DIETVLEQV 

